Is It True?
by LilianClassic
Summary: Takes place at the end of Godfather pt. I. Kay is feeling content with her life, even though she still doesn't totally approve of Michael's job, until Connie bursts in and makes her re-think what her life is really built on. Please leave me some info :D
1. Chapter 1

**Is It True?**

Kay was tired after the long day at the church. Her feet ached and were swollen from wearing her new high heeled shoes, and she felt drained from standing for so long, waiting for her nephew to be baptized, but she went on with her day. Michael was busy doing business in his office, she didn't really mind though, he had promised her some alone time later on in the evening, when he had finished with his paperwork.

Kay went on with her day, wistfully chopping some carrots for a stew she was preparing for dinner, while little Anthony was running around the kitchen with his toy soldiers. The moving men were in and out of the house with furniture to be sorted and placed and artwork to be tacked up. It was a bit exciting to see her home coming together like this, her life with Michael coming full circle with a beautiful home and a child; it was what she had always hoped for. Kay beamed at the thought, continuing to slice her carrots slowly.

When she first married Michael she had felt a bit out of place, she was after all, the only non-Italian in the family. Every woman in his family could speak Italian and cook to perfection, and they knew all the Italian recipes by heart. Kay was a pale comparison from what Michael was used to, she feared. Now, she wasn't terrible at cooking, but there was no doubt in her mind that his mother was a better cook then she ever could be. Kay tried her hardest to impress everyone with her cuisine, but she couldn't help but feel that people were being a little bit _too_ nice when they said it was as good as Mama Corleone's. It didn't bother her much though, they were just trying to be nice and if her child and Michael liked her food, that's all that really mattered to her.

She heard Anthony's giggles erupt from the corner of the kitchen, and she looked back behind her shoulder to spy her small son throwing some miniature soldiers around, pretending some sort of bomb had just gone off. Kay gave a warm smile and then turned back to her carrots, laughing silently to herself. He was going to end up breaking those things again if he wasn't careful, like she had told him last time. Well, boys would be boys. She thought back to when Michael had asked for her to come back to him that afternoon; she was dead set on not leaving with him, she had felt so abandoned by his sudden absence, but she left anyway; and she was glad she did. Kay looked around the room and couldn't imagine anywhere else she'd rather be. She was in a blissful state with Michael, deliriously happy with their life, and with their son, she was happy with everything…but his work.

Kay frowned at the thought and stopped chopping for a minute. She set the knife down on the counter and combed her fingers through her hair in thought. She knew what Michael did, she knew his business, not as well as she wished, but she knew what he dabbled in. He told her what his family did at the very beginning, but never in a million years did he tell her that's what he would end up doing. Not until that day at least; that day he asked for her to come back to him, asked for her to marry him, asked her to forgive his mysterious absence, he asked her all of those things after saying that he was running the Corleone's mob. Kay had been disappointed with the news, but overlooked it. She was so in love with Michael that she didn't care what he did, she just knew she didn't want to be without him any longer. Besides, he told her in a matter of five years or so the Corleone family would be completely legitimate, and she knew he was serious. Someone of his profession always kept his word, and she felt that he was working on that very subject at that very minute…wasn't he?

Suddenly she felt Anthony's small hands tug on her skirts and Kay was jolted from her thoughts. She blinked and then looked down at her son, his lips turned down into a sad frown. She kneeled down so she was face to face with her boy and then asked sweetly, "What's the matter, Anthony?"

He pulled out one of his soldiers whose arm had snapped off, it probably had broken after he threw the toy across the room. Anthony's big black eyes stared back at her, a sad shine shimmering in them. Kay felt that loving feeling stir in her chest and she resisted the urge to scoop her son into her arms and kiss him all over. Anthony so reminded her of Michael, he was practically a miniature version of her husband. He had all the same features, the olive skin, the dark hair and eyes, and even his nose. Everything about her son was so Italian from his head to his toes, but Kay couldn't help but feel a little twang of sadness in her own heart. Even her own son, who wasn't full bred Sicilian, looked more a part of the family then she ever would. Kay had tried to not notice the differences between her and the other members of the Corleones, but it just couldn't go overlooked for long. She knew they all liked her, but there was just that one thing, that one link that stood in the way from her becoming a true accepted Corleone…the fact that she wasn't a Sicilian.

"Oh no", she sighed, taking the soldier from his outstretched hand and looking him over. "Did he break when you threw him across the room?"

Anthony nodded, his eyes becoming misty.

"He broke, Mommy".

"What did I tell you about throwing your toys all over the place?" she asked seriously.

He remained silent, looking up at her with quivering eyes, Kay's heart swelled and her serious expression dissolved into an understanding one.

"Sorry", he muttered.

"Oh, Anthony", she scooped him up into her embrace and he gave a little giggle, and she picked him up off the floor. Kay bounced him in her arms for a moment then stopped and looked at him, flashing Anthony a smile.

"How about we ask Daddy nicely to fix it later?"

He nodded and Kay fingered the toy for a minute. His arm had come clean off, she assumed Michael could fix it, but the little toy probably wouldn't be able to swing his arm around anymore.

"I think it's time for a nap, Anthony. We had a long day today, didn't we?"

"Very long", he agreed, still giggling a bit.

Kay stepped out of the kitchen and carried him towards his room. She was careful to avoid the crates that were pilling up all over the house while she tickled him as she went towards the bedroom. His laughter, his smile, everything made Kay know this was what she lived for. The terrible thought of never taking Michael back horrified her now. How could she ever be so stubborn as to think something like that? She could never believe that she once had all but abandoned the idea of Michael and her together, but not now, not when she had a wonderful family, a warm and inviting home, and the most perfect existence she could ever ask for.

Kay opened the door to her son's bedroom, went in and plopped him on the bed, then immediately turned to his dresser to get his pajamas out.

"Did you have fun today?"

She found his pajamas and turned around to her son who just shrugged. She went over to him and laid the pajamas on the bed.

"You didn't like seeing your little baby cousin?"

Anthony stuck his arms in the air as Kay took off his shirt. When Anthony's head popped through the hole he said, "It was ok, I don't think babies do much".

"You're right", she laughed. Kay continued to help him put on his pajamas until he had curled under the covers, a sleepy look in his eyes. She ran her fingers through his thick hair, smiling sweetly down at him, a warm feeling surging into her chest.

"I'll wake you up before dinner so you can get ready", she whispered.

"Mhmm, Mommy".

Kay leaned down and kissed her son on the forehead then rose slowly, her loving gaze firmly set on her son. She gave him one last small grin and shuffled quietly back to the door, but right before she left she heard Anthony mutter from his bed, "Don't forget to ask Daddy to fix my soldier". He pointed at the toy she had laid down on his nightstand, his eyes fluttered, trying to stay awake. Kay smiled and hurriedly walked back to pick up the toy, she moved again to the door and shut it silently.

Kay went back to the kitchen and left the soldier on one of the counters, choosing to return back to her chopping instead of bothering Michael. She'd ask him later. The movers were still in and out of the house, bringing box after box with them. She picked up the knife she had left laying on the counter and began chopping again, humming quietly to herself.

She sighed, thinking of her son. She loved him so much; it was still almost unbelievable to her that she had once considered denying this existence. She was so happy, so relaxed, so sure that this was what she wanted to spend her life doing. Being a mother and a wife was rewarding, although she never would have thought that when she was going to college. When she first met Michael she thought he was a real sweetheart, so quiet and reserved that Kay didn't hesitate to fling herself into the tumultuous relationship. But she was surprised at how funny and entertaining Michael really was, she couldn't believe it when she discovered the real him, and she couldn't believe how much she liked the real him. After that, she hated to admit it, but she fell madly in love him. It was hard for her to even admit it or consider Michael being someone she wanted to spend her life with, especially since they were so young at the time, but she couldn't help but feel it. They both knew what they wanted in life, marriage could possibly be a factor, but it wasn't a focus for them at the time, so she pushed her feelings down. Michael would ask her to get married if he wanted to, no use worrying when, where or how he would do it. And that's how it was; a carefree, fun relationship that she wouldn't have given up for the world. With time, things progressed to become more serious, more mature, she'd like to think. After his sister's wedding, they fell into a state where it felt like they already newlyweds. Kay, at the time, hoped that soon they really would be saying "I do", Michael had even playfully suggested running away and eloping together (of course that was out of the question), but it all changed when Michael left for those mysterious four years or so. Kay still wasn't sure what had happened before and during that time but she….

Suddenly she heard a door slam from outside, voices yelling back and forth, women's voices. Kay stopped cutting vegetables, put down the knife and turned around, running to the window of the kitchen. She saw Connie, Michael's sister, balling and his mother sitting in a car, looking like she was desperately pleading with her. Kay couldn't hear what they were saying from inside the house, but she knew that they were being loud about whatever it was. Connie was screaming and tears were rapidly spilling down her red face as she flew up the path to their house. Kay hurriedly took off her apron and set it on the counter, smoothing out her dress and she rushed to the door.

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**Thanks for reading what I've put up so far. Hopefully I'll update soon, tell me what you think ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

Connie burst in screaming and crying for Michael. Her dark, chestnut brown hair was disheveled and she was clothed in a black dress. She frantically searched around the room for her brother, tears staining her flushed cheeks, before rushing towards Michael's private office.

"Michael! MICHAEL!"

Kay swiftly ran to her side and touched her shoulders, trying desperately to understand what was going on.

"What are you-?"

But she was cut off with Connie's frenzied cry, "MICHAEL!" She recoiled from her touch and continued on her way to Michael's office, Kay followed quickly on her heels.

She saw Connie burst through Michael's closed doors and scurry over to where he was sitting at his desk. Al Neri was at his side, it looked as if they had been talking business until Connie had run in. Michael's face, at first, looked a bit startled, but he quickly transitioned it back to its usual cool demeanor, his mouth set in a hard line, a cigarette dangling from it.

Kay still didn't know what was going on and she was worried that Michael might start to yell at Connie for interrupting, but before he could even say a word Connie cried out to him.

"Michael, you lousy bastard! You killed my husband! You waited until Papa died so nobody could stop you and then you killed him!" the words seemed to bubble out of her mouth. Her sentences were fast and piercing, peppered with her soft sobs between each breath she took.

Kay's face fell. She couldn't believe what Connie had just said; surely she hadn't meant that…

"You blamed him for Sonny, you always did, everybody did, but you never thought about me! You never gave a damn about me! No, what am I going to do?" she sobbed, her strong wall was appearing to break down now. Her head fell and Kay saw new, fat tears rolling down her face.

Michael adjusted his tie coolly, keeping his overall calm bearing, even when faced with his sister's allegations and her breakdown, he couldn't give in. Not now, not in front of his men, not when he was Don. Michael looked down at his desk as his sister wept before him.

Kay didn't think twice before running up to Connie and putting her arms around the shaking figure. Connie sobbed into Kay's chest for a moment and then grabbed her hands. Her fingers were wet with the tears that had fallen on them, but she earnestly looked up into Kay's worried eyes, still sniffling. Kay observed her face quietly. Her swollen eyes, her messy hair, something was very wrong, but Kay refused to believe it was because…because her husband ordered Carlo's death.

"Connie", she cooed, breaking one of her hands away and stroking her sister-in-law's thick hair, trying to sooth her best she could.

Michael's cool gaze rose from the table top to his wife, clutching his sister in front of him. He noticed the worried and confused look in Kay's eyes and his heart seemed to drop, seemed to ache with the pain of keeping his business hidden from his wife…but he knew he couldn't tell her. She wouldn't understand; it would be better for everyone if his loving wife remained blindly ignorant to the unfortunate circumstances that his business had brought about. He knew whatever Connie told her would have no effect, so long as he assured her it wasn't true.

"Why do you think he kept Carlo on the Mall? All the time he knew he was going to kill him!" she cried to Kay and then Connie turned her head to Michael, who sat in silence still. "You stood Godfather to our baby, you lousy, coldhearted bastard", Connie continued in disbelief, shaking her head.

Michael's gaze dropped down again, but then it flickered back up at his sister who was staring him down coldly, tears still welling up in her dark eyes. Michael couldn't look away; he forced himself to stare her straight in the eyes, to make her believe, by just the expression set on his face, that all that she had been told or assumed was absolutely untrue. Even though he ordered her husband's death, he did it for her own good, for the good of the family, for the good of his sister's child. Everyone, even Connie, knew Carlo was a no good wife beater who had set up the hit for their brother Sonny. Even if Carlo hadn't continued to beat Connie to a bloody pulp, he still killed their brother and that was unforgivable…and Connie should understand that. Especially since Sonny had been killed trying to stand up for his baby sister. It made Michael sick just thinking about it, and the fact that she was feeding this bullshit to Kay made him even sicker. His wife didn't need to know what had and was really going on in the family.

Connie turned her gaze to Kay again and said in a strained voice, "You ought to know how many men he killed with Carlo", Kay's eyes bulged. Connie turned toward Michael again and wailed, "Read the papers! Read the papers, that's your husband! That's your husband!"

She broke away and Kay grabbed for her, but Connie had already seized a stack of papers on Michael's desk and thrown them all around the room. She then made her way toward Michael but Al Neri threw his arms around the sobbing figure, trying to stop her from going any farther.

Michael gave a subtle signal with his hand to let her go and Connie seemed to stumble out of Al's arms and over to where he was sitting at his desk. Michael slowly rose out of his seat and outstretched his arms, waiting for his sister to fall into them, but Connie tried to back away from him. Michael awkwardly hugged her anyway and then stood up fully, wrapping his arms fully around his sister. Connie became suddenly still in his arms.

Kay's head was in a whirl over the last few words Connie had been screaming. She knew Michael was in the mob business, she knew she had married into the infamous Corleone family, but she refused to believe her husband was a bad person. At least not as bad as to have one of his own family members killed, not while he had stood this very morning as his nephew's Godfather, holding Connie and Carlo's own flesh and blood in his arms. He couldn't possible do that…could he? Her husband's promise floated back to her mind again, as if often did in times of uncertainty. 'The Corleone family will be completely legitimate in five years', wasn't that what he had said? She held her husband true to what he had told her, even if it might take a little bit longer than five years, she knew Michael had meant what he had said to her. But still she wasn't sure, Michael seemed so-so cold while he sat there watching his poor sister cry her eyes out. He looked numb, as if he was trying to block the truth out of his head, the truth that he really had killed his own sister's husband. But Kay couldn't understand it, why would he do that?

Suddenly Connie screamed at the top of her lungs, ripping her body out of Michaels' grip and stumbling back into Al's shoulder. "Noooo! Nooo!" The two men crowded around her, Michael rubbing her back soothingly as Al put his arm around Connie and led her out the room.

Michael sighed and Kay stood there in disbelief, a stern expression set on her face as she watched him. Michael looked over at her then looked away, giving a small sigh. He slowly circled around the room, back to his desk and then turned to look at Kay, her eyes suddenly misty, a lump in her throat.

"She's hysterical", he murmured.

She continued to stare at him.

Michael took out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth, turning on his heel and beginning to stroll around the room in circles again, Kay's frank gaze following every step.

"Hysterical", he shrugged, lighting the cigarette.

"Michael is it true?" she asked softly.

He looked up at her with his big, black eyes and Kay's breath stopped. She saw the-was it a guilty-gleam in his eyes. She didn't want to believe Connie, but she just couldn't wrap her head around the thought of her bursting into his office _just _to make a scene. That wasn't like Connie. As much as she wanted to believe her husband's innocence, she had to ask him if it was true. If he really had killed Carlo.

"Don't ask me about my business, Kay", was his simple reply, as he went towards his desk again.

Kay's heart dropped. He was avoiding the question almost as if…he had done it.

"Is it true?" she asked more sternly now.

"Don't ask me about my business-"

"No".

"ENOUGH!" She was startled when Michael yelled and then slammed his hand down on the smooth, wooden desk. Kay jumped a bit at the temper that rarely flared in her presence, but she was determined to stand her ground. This was one thing she could not just forget and put in the back of her mind, she had to know, she just needed an answer.

She continued watching Michael until he finally turned around and paced toward the window, knocking down a pile of papers in frustration. He turned again and saw Kay was still watching him intently and he knew that he couldn't avoid her question any longer.

He sighed and began, "Alright-this one time…this one time I'll let you ask me about my affairs", he stared at her seriously and Kay dared to ask her question again. All she wanted was one word.

She breathed in and asked quietly, "Is it true?"

Michael stared deeply into her eyes and the seconds of silence between them seemed to drag into hours for her. His gaze was penetrating and deep which made her feel the need and relief of his honest, one word answer even more in her heavy heart.

"Is it?" she whispered, her eyes still misty.

Finally he answered, simply and quietly, still looking deep into her eyes, "No".

Her heart seemed to soar at the simple word. It wasn't true; she now knew it wasn't true, the look in his eyes told her so. Michael hadn't laid a finger or placed any order to have Carlo killed. Maybe Connie was hysterical; Kay would be too if her husband was found dead.

A sunny smile came to her lips and her eyes shone with relief, which made Michael's emotions conflict even further in his heart. He didn't want to lie to Kay, but he had to, she wouldn't understand. No one understood the business of the family like Michael, he and he alone knew what was best for the business… and his growing family. Even if it meant lying to her, it would be better for his sweet Kay not to have to worry her pretty head over what her husband really did. About his soul.

Kay sighed airily and seemed to fall into Michael's open arms, her eyes closed dreamily and her smile widened as she placed her face into his comforting shoulder. She felt Michael press his lips softly against her cheek and his arms slipped around her back, rubbing it up and down soothingly. She felt terrible, absolutely terrible for ever doubting him. How could she? Not her Michael, _never_ her sweet Michael, the father of her son. It was all just a big misunderstanding. But still, there was that little nagging feeling in the bottom of her stomach.

She moved her head back from his warm shoulder and broke the hug, instead moving her hands up Michael's arms and she stated, relief in her voice, "I guess we both need a drink, huh?"

He was silent but cracked a small smile. Kay undid herself from his arms and made her way back into the hallway, looking for where she had left the bottle of alcohol they had opened the other night in celebration of their new house. She found it resting on a table, in obvious view of his open office door and Kay rolled her eyes, of course, she had left it in plain view. She grabbed two glasses and began to open up the bottle of scotch, and then put a few ice cubes into their glasses. She poured a bit of alcohol into the glasses and then looked up.

She saw that Al Neri, Clemenza and Rocco Lampone had moved into the room in the relatively short time that she had left. Kay put the glasses down onto the table again and watched as the men crowded around her husband. She observed Clemenza as he took Michael's hand and shook it graciously, then leaned over and planted a small kiss of respect on Michael's cheek and finally pulled him into a hug.

Kay's smile flickered.

Clemenza then took Michael's hand and planted another kiss on it then straightened up and looked at Michael with approval. Kay then heard him mutter, "Don Corleone", and her head began to spin. She watched until she saw Al Neri move towards the door and then quietly shut it.

Kay's smile vanished, replaced by a confused frown. She understood now, she could see everything. Michael had killed Carlo, whether with his own bare hands or with his men, he had still done it. But somehow Kay wasn't frightened or even startled by it. She seemed to have known, deep down in her heart, that Michael had done it, but she didn't want to admit that herself, that her husband was capable of such a thing. His lie had soothed her naïve hopes for the innocence of her husband, but she knew, she knew the truth and she couldn't escape it, not even with his soothing words. When that door shut so quietly in her face, so was Kay's ability closed. Her ability to ultimately understand Michael's world, Michael's business, possibly even Michael's own heart. She continued to stare off at the shut door, her heart pounding in her chest, her head throbbing, her eyes flickering with the conflicting emotions settling in the pit of her stomach.

"Mommy", she heard the muffled cry of Anthony off in his room.

She looked down at the lonely glasses sitting on the table and sighed. Even with the truth of Michael's work staring at her so boldly in the face, she still loved her husband. How many other small facts about his work had she been able to forget in love for her dearest Michael? Surely it wouldn't hurt if she hid this one away too, what would one more murder, or hit, or secret really matter? Maybe it was just one last undertaking he had to fulfill before he could finally quit the business and move on to more clean work; work he could tell his son about, work he could tell her about.

Somehow the nagging feeling that Vito Corleone wouldn't have wanted this for his son came to her mind. She respected her father-in-law for who he was, a family man, a wise man, a man of integrity, even the fact that he had killed countless people in his life didn't change her opinion on those things. And somehow-somehow she knew that Vito had thought better of Michael then for him to wind up being the new Don, somehow she thought that Vito always figured Michael would go farther in life then just sticking to the family business.

"Moooommmyyy!"

Kay snapped out of her thoughts and rubbed her temples quickly, trying to calm her frenzied mind. Why was she thinking of all these complex things now? She'd only feel ill if she contemplated it any longer. She started towards little Anthony's room with her last, comforting thought in her mind. The idea that if Michael said the family would be legitimate-it would be; no need to worry what had happened, no matter how terrible. Surely it must all be for the good of the family, for the good of Anthony, for the good of them. Michael would never sacrifice his family for his work. Never…not when he had promised her.

"Mommy, where are you?"

"Coming, Anthony, coming".

She opened the door and her little boy smiled up at her, relief clearly written on his young face when he saw his mother in the doorway. With the vision of their beautiful, smiling son set clearly in her mind, Kay knew that Michael would follow through on his promise; she knew he would give up the business as soon as he could.

With that one thought she could go on, she could continue living her happy existence, and she could forget everything and look ahead to the blissful years in front of her. The happy years Michael, she and Anthony, maybe even another child, would all share together. She smiled back at little Anthony and went to go hold him in her arms, to shower him with kisses, to tell him how much she loved him.

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**Thanks for reading, I might come back and fix this up a bit, but I wanted to put it up before the weekend was over. Leave your opinions/reviews, please. It fuels me to write more stories :D**


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